Article published November 03, 2009
Rugged Nittany Lions next for improved OSU offense
Dane Sanzenbacher was the offensive star against New Mexico State. He knows the yards will be tougher Saturday against Penn State.
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
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By MATT MARKEY
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
COLUMBUS - Two straight weeks of offensive success have the Ohio State Buckeyes cautiously, guardedly, and carefully feeling that their long-suffering unit has finally found its rhythm.
The debate on that theory is not over, however, and the ultimate litmus test comes Saturday when No. 15 Ohio State visits No. 11 Penn State. So far this season, the Nittany Lions have determined where the bar is set on defensive standards in the Big Ten.
"They've always played great defense, and this year it looks like they're real strong again," Ohio State junior wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher said about Penn State's defense, which has allowed just six touchdowns in nine games.
| OHIO STATE AT PENN STATE |
• When: Saturday, 3:30
• Records: No. 15 OSU is 7-2, 4-1 Big Ten; No. 11 PSU is 8-1, 4-1
• Series: Tied 12-12
• Favorite: PSU by 3˝
• TV: 13
• Radio: 106.5 |
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"We know everything we plan to do is going to be challenged. Nothing will come easy over there," said Sanzenbacher, who was named Ohio State's offensive player of the week after scoring two touchdowns against New Mexico State on Saturday.
The Buckeyes have dominated Minnesota and New Mexico State the last two weeks, outscoring those opponents 83-7 and putting up 1,068 yards of offense. Ohio State has had 580 rushing yards and scored 10 offensive touchdowns the last two weeks.
"I think it was big this week to take a step forward and not relax like we have done in the past, and I think we accomplished that," said Sanzenbacher after the 45-0 win over the Aggies. Ohio State beat Minnesota 38-7 in its most-recent Big Ten game.Penn State shares second place in the conference with the Buckeyes, and great defense has been its core strength. The Nittany Lions are first in the Big Ten in every major defensive statistic and have allowed just 8.9 points per game.
The Penn State rushing defense allows only 79.8 yards per game, and opponents have scored just three touchdowns on the ground. The Nittany Lions have 26 sacks and allow just 240.2 ypg. of total offense.
Ohio State sophomore quarterback Terrelle Pryor, a Pennsylvania native who chose the Buckeyes over Penn State and a number of other major programs, said he is anxious to see how the Ohio State offense will fare against the conference's top-rated defense, playing inside raucous Beaver Stadium.
"I've always wanted to play in tough stadiums against tough opponents - that's where you measure yourself," Pryor said. "This coming week is going to be a challenge, a quiz for us to find out how we're going to be."
Pryor said he knows he will be a marked man at Penn State, but he is confident the Ohio State offense can have some success if the Buckeyes execute and avoid mistakes. Pryor said that on the advice of coach Jim Tressel, he won't survey the hype surrounding his return to the Keystone State.
"I don't read the newspaper. I don't really watch ESPN or anything like that," Pryor said. "Coach doesn't really like us reading anything or watching ESPN or stuff like that because sometimes if you read stuff, you believe it. Whether the team is good or not, you can't listen or read what the analysts are saying because sometimes that stuff will get to you."
Tressel, who held Pryor out of the second half of the New Mexico State game, was protecting his starter for the rugged finishing Big Ten stretch that features Penn State, conference-leader Iowa, and rival Michigan.
"We know what we've got staring us in the face here, come November," Tressel said after the win over New Mexico State.
Between them, Ohio State and Penn State have won the last four Big Ten championships, with the two finishing tied for the title in 2005 and 2008 and Ohio State winning it outright the other two seasons. The Buckeyes are seeking a fifth straight conference crown.
Contact Matt Markey at:
mmarkey@theblade.com
or 419-724-6510.
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